“We’ll Always Have Paris”

by Nichi Noe · November 7, 2016

After leaving a relatively unknown and untraveled city in Bulgaria we were headed to one of the most famous and visited cities in all the world: Paris! And, while the price was about to shoot through the roof, so were the number of sites, restaurants, museums, parks, and shops. Katie, Adam, and I had all visited the City of Lights on previous trips but were excited to return and show Justin all the things that make this city so wonderful.

We split up a bit in this city by couples. Katie took Justin to see some of the more well-known attractions we had seen on previous visits, and Adam and I ventured out to see some Paris staples we missed the first time around.

What We Did

Day 57 (9/18/16): We woke up reasonably early, ready to delve into the sights (while also anxious to get out of our TINY Airbnb). Adam and I got ready and took the underground to the Père Lachaise Cemetery. We saw the famous graves of composers, writers, political figures, and, of course, Jim Morrison. We then stopped for lunch at a small café. We returned to the apartment, got groceries to make dinner, and spent the rest of the evening sipping wine and watching the Bengals on NFL Ticket.

Katie & Justin: After parting ways with Nichi and Adam in the morning Katie and I went to see the famous Versailles palace and grounds. I had always wanted to see the palace after learning about it in school and it didn’t disappoint. The palace is enormous and grand. The history is incredibly rich and learning about the expansion of the site over the years is very interesting. Having toured several palaces, it’s quite evident that Versailles is what every other palace copies. Unfortunately, we were unable to explore the grounds/gardens because there was a “fountain show” going on that cost an ungodly amount of money that we weren’t willing to spend considering we had no desire whatsoever to watch it. Afterwards we made our way back to the apartment.

Day 58 (9/19/16): Adam and I started the day by venturing out to Rue Montorgueil, a true food-lovers paradise boasting several boutique shops, restaurants, and groceries with an outdoor market feel. After snapping up a croissant and wandering the length of it twice, we had lunch at L’Escargot Montorgueil. After the plethora of calories, we walked to meet Katie and Justin on the Champs-Élysées, passing by the Louvre, Luxor Obelisk, and Tuileries Garden before arriving at the Arc de Triomphe. Shortly thereafter we went to Harry’s New York Bar, birthplace of the Bloody Mary, to get a taste of a true classic. In the drinking mood, we then picked up some pre-made sandwiches and wine and had a picnic and sunset euchre tournament in front of the Eiffel Tower. As Katie and Justin ventured up into the tower, Adam and I grabbed a crepe and walked home for the night.

Katie and Justin: Splitting up from Nichi and Adam again, Katie and I visited another tourist hotspot, Notre Dame Cathedral. Although we saw many gargoyles we didn’t come across the hunchback. Boo. The cathedral was beautiful, but to be honest, after seeing so so so many gorgeous churches we have become a bit jaded. The stained-glass windows definitely stand out in my mind as something to remember. We hunted down one of the top creperies in the city for lunch and then made our way to the Arc de Triomphe. We met up with Nichi and Adam for a quick minute along the Champs-Élysées and then walked around the Louvre entrance and the Luxor Obelisk. We then met up with Nichi and Adam at Harry’s New York Bar for the original Bloody Mary.

Day 59 (9/20/16): After a late start, Adam and I walked through Paris’s gallery district, we stumbled on a comic-book themed burger joint called Comic for lunch. We then spent a large portion of the afternoon wandering through the Musee d’Orsay looking at their collection of famous Monet, Renoir, and Van Gough paintings. After all that culture, we walked to the Luxembourg Gardens and spent some time soaking up the sun by the fountains. For dinner, we met Katie and Justin in the Red-Light district of Paris, by the famous Moulin Rouge, and ate at the #1 ranked restaurant on Trip Advisor, Les Apotres de Pigalle.

Katie and Justin: Splitting off from Nichi and Adam again, we visited Père Lachaise Cemetery to marvel at all of the lavish and grand gravesites and monuments dedicated to both the rich and the famous. The highlights were Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. The entire park was filled with Buckeye trees. Apparently they’re good luck in Europe. From there we went to Sacré-Cœur basilique atop a tall hill. The view was beautiful and the church was also very detailed. Sitting out front and taking in the view was worth the uphill hike. We walked around the nearby artist district where literally 50 people were drawing portraits or at least offering to do so. We made our way to the “Red Light District” and had a beer in a park while waiting to meet up with Nichi and Adam for dinner.

What We Learned

As is probably pretty apparent, Paris is an expensive city. For example, our Airbnb on the outskirts of town was over budget and the size of a walk-in closet. But for possibly the most famous city in the world, this is to be expected. If you come, prepare for the higher price of lodging, restaurants, and entry fees to their most famous attractions. Our trip to Bulgaria just before allowed us to save enough to cover the additional expense. That being said, the food is AMAZING, the sites are memorable, and the wine is super cheap at the grocery store J.
Their subway system is one of the best I have encountered. It is efficient, cheap and easy to navigate. You can get anywhere in the city using it in very little time. They even go to some farther out locations like the palace of Versailles. You do not need to take a cab anywhere. We found the multi-day passes to be worth the price, especially since we were so far out on the subway line (last stop to be exact). I would also recommend walking. Paris is a city that opens itself up to you the more you explore it. And sometimes, when you walk, you get to see awesome shops and parks and neighborhoods that you would have never knew existed. Real Paris can be found this way.
It’s just as good the second or third time around. This trip was my and Katie’s second and Adams third, but I found it to be just as rewarding as the first. My first time in Paris, we were there for only a long weekend, and spent the entirety of it running around the city trying to hit all the major tourist sites. However, this time around we were able to slow things down a little more, see some things that weren’t on the top ten list, and take in more of the aura that makes Paris so special.
If you find yourself in Paris I definitely would recommend you visit the number one restaurant, Les Apotres de Pigalle. It is a new restaurant, but every review of it thus far has been five stars, including ours. The food is not the typical pricey, pretentious classic cuisine. It is affordable, hip, and innovative. We split the guacamole, chicken quesadillas, truffle tarmasalata, and mixed cheese and charcuterie plate and were welcomed with a free shot from the owners. We made friends with the table next to us, and just overall thoroughly enjoyed our experience.

Memorable Moments

Walking through the cemetery with Adam was incredibly eerie and awesome. We saw all the famous gravesites and discovered a few others that were equally as impressive (thank you Google). The layout is so crazy and the cemetery id do large you could spend all day there getting lost amongst the headstones. And we did. We had a hell of a time finding some of them. Particularly the Rosenberg family headstones….
One of my favorite moments this stop was sitting with my nomadic family in front of the Eifel Tower with pre-made wraps and a bottle of wine playing euchre. The people watching in that park is incredible; seeing everyone trying to snap the perfect selfie. We also got to watch a young guy is a business suit with a brief case walk back and forth in front of it like 300 times while another young guy filmed him and then proceeded to tell him how horribly he had done it wrong before making him go at it again. We sat there as the sun set and the tower lit up and sparkled.

Pictures

What We Did

Katie & Justin:

Katie and Justin:

What We Learned

As is probably pretty apparent, Paris is an expensive city. For example, our Airbnb on the outskirts of town was overbudget and the size of a walk-in closet. But for possibly the most famous city in the world, this is to be expected. If you come, prepare for the higher price of lodging, restaurants, and entry fees to their most famous attractions. Our trip to Bulgaria just before allowed us to save enough to cover the additional expense. That being said, the food is AMAZING, the sites are memorable, and the wine is super cheap at the grocery store J.
Their subway system is one of the best I have encountered. It is efficient, cheap and easy to navigate. You can get anywhere in the city using it in very little time. They even go to some farther out locations like the palace of Versailles. You do not need to take a cab anywhere. We found the multi-day passes to be worth the price, especially since we were so far out on the subway line (last stop to be exact). I would also recommend walking. Paris is a city that opens itself up to you the more you explore it. And sometimes, when you walk, you get to see awesome shops and parks and neighborhoods that you would have never knew existed. Real Paris can be found this way.
It’s just as good the second or third time around. This trip was my and Katie’s second and Adams third, but I found it to be just as rewarding as the first. My first time in Paris, we were there for only a long weekend, and spent the entirety of it running around the city trying to hit all the major tourist sites. However, this time around we were able to slow things down a little more, see some things that weren’t on the top ten list, and take in more of the aura that makes Paris so special.
If you find yourself in Paris I definitely would recommend you visit the number one restaurant, Les Apotres de Pigalle. It is a new restaurant, but every review of it thus far has been five stars, including ours. The food is not the typical pricey, pretentious classic cuisine. It is affordable, hip, and innovative. We split the guacamole, chicken quesadillas, truffle tarmasalata, and mixed cheese and charcuterie plate and were welcomed with a free shot from the owners. We made friends with the table next to us, and just overall thoroughly enjoyed our experience.

Memorable Moments

Walking through the cemetery with Adam was incredibly eerie and awesome. We saw all the famous gravesites and discovered a few others that were equally as impressive (thank you Google). The layout is so crazy and the cemetery id do large you could spend all day there getting lost amongst the headstones. And we did. We had a hell of a time finding some of them. Particularly the Rosenberg family headstones….
One of my favorite moments this stop was sitting with my nomadic family in front of the Eifel Tower with pre-made wraps and a bottle of wine playing euchre. The people watching in that park is incredible; seeing everyone trying to snap the perfect selfie. We also got to watch a young guy is a business suit with a brief case walk back and forth in front of it like 300 times while another young guy filmed him and then proceeded to tell him how horribly he had done it wrong before making him go at it again. We sat there as the sun set and the tower lit up and sparkled.

Pictures